HISTORY Sebring continues to extend the same warm welcome it has since it was founded in 1912 by Ohio industrialist George Sebring. The pioneer visionary designed a circular plan as a focal point for the entire lakeside community he planned as “The City on the Circle.” George Sebring’s idea was that all roads would radiate from the center of the community. Despite many modern improvements, his design remains essentially the same today as when the concept was still a sketch. Archival records indicate the founder’s “Circle Plan” for the downtown area was based on the design of Heliopolis, an ancient Egyptian city. The unique design of the new town quickly caught the attention of investors, real estate entrepreneurs and bankers who were drawn to the layout of the community, seeing it as a potential financial bonanza. Adding to the allure was the development of cattle ranches and citrus groves complemented by connections via Seaboard Air Line Railroad’s famous “Orange Blossom Special” to other cities across the nation’s eastern coastline. By the mid-1920s, the population of Sebring had grown nearly fourfold, and much of the city’s early development had reached its peak. The City on the Circle had developed into the business mecca George Sebring had envisioned. But the 16 Welcome to Sebring